Getting Back in Shape (Week 1): Everyone Loves a Comeback

 

Everyone loves a comeback.

The last couple of years I’ve followed the same roller coaster for my fitness. I get really out of shape and then sign up for a Marathon, train my ass off, lose 15-20lbs and race it. Then start the whole cycle up again.

(After Marathon in 2015…time to get fat!)

Now that I’m nearing the end of my 20’s I want to make one last real comeback to running; not half-ass it. I want to work my butt off, get back to my college racing weight (165lbs), and actually attempt to pr at everything from 800-marathon (qualify for Boston).

The first step will be to lose the weight. This will be done in a combination of lifting, running,  boxing, tracking my calories, setting goals and staying accountable. I don’t believe in fad diets, very against diet pills and think crash diets will yo-yo you. The best diet and fitness plan a person can do is one they can consistently follow and stay accountable with. Since my weird ass actually enjoys running, that will be a heavy portion of my training.

I also need to recognize my weaknesses and set up a plan to avoid my fat traps:

1. Snacking in front of TV – Give me a bag of chips, some salsa and call it a day. Love munching in front of the tube while I watch Stabler lay down the law on some SVU episode I’ve seen three times, as I mindlessly consume 1,000 calories worth of tortilla chips and dip.
   Fix – Replace the chips with carrots or celery and avoid dips. Did this in college my senior year and it helped a lot. I just like to crunch on something and replacing it with a low-calorie food is an easy fix (I could also watch less TV).
2. Not Eating All Day then Binging –  “Wow Chris you did really good on your diet today, now let’s ruin it by shutting your brain off and eating all the Chinese leftovers and everything else in sight. No one’s around, so the calories don’t count bro.”
   Fix –  This is the biggest trap I fall into and it seems to happen when I come home from work after a long day. My blood-sugar is probably extremely low  and I’m just setting myself up for a ravenous frenzy, where all self-control flies out the door. In order to combat this trap I will need to prepare my meals in advance, try to turn on my brain when I get home from work/gym and also employ intermediate fasting (setting 8-hour window for eating). I really need to just stick to a healthy number of calories, so I don’t set myself up for failure. 
   
3. Portion Size – I can eat a lot. I’ve won 4 wing eating championships and 3 hot dog eating contests, “The Champ is here!”  My insatiable appetite didn’t have an effect on me back in college while I was running 60 miles a week, but it sure has caught up to me now!
   Fix – Smaller portion sizes homey! My fat ass may be used to big meals right now, but my body will adapt to smaller sizes and my waistline will be happy for it!
4. Getting Hammered and Eating Everything – Go out have 12-15 drinks with the guys and then a few hours later wake up covered in hot sauce next to an empty pizza box and 30 wings scattered around me like a graveyard.
   Fix – Cut back on my drinking (actually don’t drink that much anymore and the 12-15 is a rare fun night, usually on Nantucket), fit my drinking calories into my weekly allowance and plan/prepare a responsible meal for after. Also, drink water.
5. Eating pure shit – When you see corn nuts mixed with jalapeno and blue cheese at Mobile or a Monster Jalapeno Slim Jim at 711  what do you see? A gross monstrosity not meant for man? I see a beacon of hope, a little break in the grind, a moment of joy and a great snack to wash down with diet mountain dew or pepsi max.

   I developed a habit for convenience store food when I was working long hours paying off my student loans. When I was on the road for 8-12 hours at a time, often in seedy parts of the city and holding in a pee for an hour, coming across a gas station convenience store was like finding an oasis in the desert. I could take a break, use the facilities, eat some crap and get my mind right to get back on the road to make more $.
   Fix –  Stop eating shit. Eat real food, healthy food and retrain my brain.

6.  Mental Gymnastics –  Also known as giving yourself an excuse to do something – “My work paid for it,” “don’t want to let it go to waste,” “one time, won’t hurt,” “calories in an airport don’t count.” If you try hard enough you can give yourself a reason to do anything and convince yourself you haven’t done anything wrong.
   Fix – Stay accountable, call myself on my bullshit and follow my diet.

Now onto the actual goals. My number one goal is to get to 165lbs by December 1, 2017 my 30th birthday. That’s a hard, but doable goal. However, I’ll never reach it if I don’t make smaller goals towards it and hold myself accountable.

*Wrote this blog a while ago and got into decent shape, but summer hit and I got lax with working out and dieting. Time to hit it hard and reach my goal. Stay tuned.